The present invention relates to the field of network computing. More particularly, various embodiments relate to a method and apparatus for switching voice calls using a computer system.
Personal computers are now used in many homes for a wide variety of purposes. Increasingly, home computer users are using the Internet for email, as an information resource, for shopping, etc. Some home computer users may be connected to the Internet (or another packet switched network) for several hours at a time.
Many homes, including those of home personal computer users, only have a single telephone line. Because a large percentage of home computer users gain access to the Internet or another packet switched network over a modem using their telephone line, Internet use may tie up the telephone line. Where this is the case, other people in the household cannot use the telephone to make calls, and outside people cannot call into the home during this time.
Some people have chosen to address this issue by having a cellular telephone to handle incoming and outgoing calls while the installed telephone line is being used for Internet or other remote server access. Cellular phones are also costly and result in multiple home telephone numbers.
Alternatively, the home computer user may subscribe to a call waiting service to handle incoming calls. This solution, however, addresses only half of the problem. Others in the household are still unable to make outgoing calls. Further, the incoming call allowed by the call waiting service may disrupt the home computer user""s connection to the Internet.
Some people subscribe to a service that allows individual voice calls over the Internet while a computer is logged on to the Internet. An example of such a service is the WorldNetSM Service from ATandT. Such services, however, do not provide for a user to use a standard voice telephony device, such as a telephone handset, to conduct the telephone call. Using such services, only the computer system user or someone sitting at the computer system can conduct such telephone conversations. Further, such services do not provide for multiple calls to be switched and managed using the computer system. It may be desirable to switch and manage multiple telephone calls, for example, to achieve benefits similar to call waiting and conference calling services currently provided by local telephone companies.
Another approach is to install a second telephone line, an Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) line, an Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL), or a cable modem line that is used only by a personal computer to access the Internet. The addition of such lines, however, may be costly and, therefore, may not be a widely available alternative. Further, a requirement to add a second telephone or other type of line to enable concurrent telephone and Internet use increases the perceived total cost of computer ownership, and, may prevent some people from purchasing a computer.
Even where such a line is installed, however, there may still be a desire to route one or more telephone calls over the ISDN, ADSL, cable modem or second telephone line while accessing the Internet or another packet switched network. Currently available services and hardware do not provide this capability.
A method and apparatus for simultaneously connecting a computer system to a packet switched network and communicating via voice calls using a single communications line are described.
For one embodiment, a computer-implemented method for communicating over a first communications line includes steps of detecting whether a computer system is coupled to a packet switched network via the first communications line and, if the computer system is coupled to the packet switched network, concurrently enabling voice communications over the first communications line using a first voice telephony device coupled to the computer system.